Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office has certified that enough valid signatures have been submitted on an initiative to legalize psychedelics to force a vote of the legislature.
Mescaline (top left), ibogaine (top right), psilocyn mushrooms (bottom left), DMT (bottom right).
Massachusetts for Mental Health Options submitted over 96,000 valid signatures, well more than the roughly 74,000 needed to force a vote. The legislature will now have the option of passing the initiative into law, or giving proponents an opportunity to place the measure on the November, 2024 ballot for voters to decide.
“This brings psilocybin and other breakthrough psychedelic therapies one big step closer to being available to adults dealing with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges,” says Jennifer Manley, a spokesperson for the group pushing the initiative.
She continues: “We look forward to working with legislative leaders on the possibility and promise of natural psychedelic medicine as we continue our work to provide therapeutic access to these groundbreaking treatments. We thank the secretary and his staff for their service reviewing the nearly 100,000 signatures submitted in support, as well as the volunteers and advocates who spent many hours talking to voters around the state.”
The proposed law would legalize the possession and personal cultivation of up to one gram of DMT, 18 grams of non-peyote mescaline, 30 grams of Ibogaine, one gram of psilocybin and one gram of psilocin.
The initiative would “expand mental health treatment options in Massachusetts by providing new pathways to access natural psychedelic medicine therapy”, including “creating access to natural psychedelic medicine therapy and removing criminal penalties for personal possession of these medicines.”
The law would allow licensed service centers to supply psychedelics, overseen by a newly-created Natural Psychedelic Substances Commission (modeled after the state’s Cannabis Control Commission),
Psychedelics under the initiative would be subject to a 15% excise tax. The initiative would take effect on December 15, 2024, with the commission formed by March 1, 2025.
The legislature now has until May 1 to approve or reject the initiative. If they reject it, Massachusetts for Mental Health Options will have until July 3 to submit an additional 12.4k signatures in order to place the measure on the November, 2024 general election ballot.
In Massachusetts six different cities have passed ordinances decriminalizing the possession of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms. Salem was the most recent in May, joining Cambridge, Somerville, Easthampton, Northhampton and Amherst.
